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It’s been a hectic ten days, both on and off the pitch at Chelsea Football Club, with games and wins and transfer rumors galore. Here are a few “minor” stories that have fallen through the cracks.
ERIC DIER
This one was hilarious just for the troll-factor, even though it’s highly unlikely that Spurs would sell anyone to Chelsea, let alone somebody excellent like Eric Dier. Dier however has not been quite as excellent this season as before, though that’s in part due to not playing in his best position. It is this conundrum that led the Times to drop the bombshell that Chelsea and Bayern Munich and others were monitoring the situation. Spurs scrambled, Pochettino rubbished all this nonsense, but the seed’s been planted. Maybe somebody will keep watering it in secret at night and it’ll blossom into something magnificent later. For now, it’s just barren ground.
CHARLY MUSONDA
Charly Jr is more or less officially done with Real Betis after a more or less wasted first half of the season, but the rumblings more or less point to another loan rather than an extended stay with the Chelsea first-team. AS Roma are just one of several potential suitors, who also include Musonda’s first team, Anderlecht.
NATHAN AKE
Man of the moment Nathan Ake will not get to play for Bournemoth on Boxing Day when they visit Stamford Bridge, but the Cherries are hoping that the 21-year-old emerging star will get to stay with them for at least this season. When Ake wasn’t playing as much as he has been lately, rumors of Chelsea cutting the loan short in January were making the rounds. Now that he’s playing regularly, the rumors posit Ake as potential cover at left back for Marcos Alonso instead. Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe however is hoping all that is nonsense; he in fact wouldn’t mind if Ake made his stay a bit more permanent, to the tune of around £10m. According to The Sun, the decision more or less rests with the player, who appears entirely undecided at the moment.
RYAN SESSEGNON
Bonus round! Apparently RB Leipzig are hot on the trail of 16-year-old Fulham left back Ryan Sessegnon (no relation to Stephane), but the Evening Standard’s story also name-drops Chelsea, both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, and Bayern Munich as well. The Loan Army has many mouths to feed, Ryan sweet child.